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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a face
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — in music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com